Wine Details

Tenuta Santa Maria Decima Aurea Merlot Verona IGT

This is a rich and intense wine, apparent immediately by its ruby red color. Soft tannins, well-balanced acidity and consistency are complimented by enchanting hints of wild berries and dried plums, accompanied by notes of coffee, eucalyptus and vanilla. This is a well-structured Merlot, expressing typical qualities of the variety, but also the unique character given by a partial “appassimento” for a portion of the grapes, typical of the region and style of the winery.

Region:

Producer:

Tenuta Santa Maria

Classification:

Merlot Verona IGT

Variety:

100% Merlot (selected from three clones)

Number of bottles produced:

20,000 bottles

Production area:

Illasi Valley (16km east of Verona)

Altitude:

50 meters (164 feet) a.s.l.

Age of vines:

27 years

Yield:

8,000 kg/ha

Training:

Cordon-trained

Vinification:

Partial "appasimento" (drying) of the grapes picked in September and remaining grapes harvested overripe in October; separate cold macerations and temperature-controlled fermentation

Refining:

Blended then refined in oak barriques for approx. 14 months and a few months in bottle

Alcohol content:

14.5%

pH level:

3.5

Acidity:

5.17 g/L

Soil:

Primarily clay with deeper calcareous layers

Time of harvest:

Late September for some grapes, remainder in first half of October (overripe)

Harvest:

Manual

Recent press reviews

90

Tenuta Santa Maria Decima Aurea Merlot Verona IGT 2017

James Suckling (90)- "A decent merlot from part fresh and part dried grapes, showing notes of ripe red fruit, herbs and oak from the aging in barriques. The tannins are well-integrated and the overall impression is of a wine that’s been curated well."

95

Tenuta Santa Maria Decima Aurea Merlot Verona IGT 2011

Italian Wine Guy (95)- "Very mature on the nose it tells notes of red plums, pine needles and toasted hazelnuts. Medium body, slightly dry tannins and a finish that lacks juiciness. Drink now."

93

Tenuta Santa Maria Decima Aurea Merlot Verona IGT 2011

Vinous Media (93)- "The 2011 Decima Aurea is surprisingly elegant and poised, especially considering the ripe vintage. A mix of savory exotic spice and white smoke gives way to ripe blackberry and plums and a refreshing hint of mint leaf. It’s silky and polished, gaining tactile grip as tart red and black berries mix with salty minerals, while tannins mount toward the close. The length here is admirable, and there’s beautiful symmetry as well, staining the palate in concentrated dark fruits while flexing its youthful structure. The 2011 needs a few more years to come into focus, but it should drink beautifully for a decade or more thereafter. This single-vineyard, varietal Merlot undergoes partial appassimento and is then refined in French oak for 14 months prior to bottling."